An intriguing story of a place, a person and the garden she created. In 1988 Katherine Swift arrived at the Dower House at Morville to create a garden of her own. This beautifully written, utterly absorbing book is the history of the many people who have lived in the same Shropshire house, tending the same soil, passing down stories over the generations. Spanning thousands of years, The Morville Hours takes the form of a medieval Book of Hours.

Your Likes make Audible better!

Publisher's Summary

An intriguing story of a place, a person and the garden she created. In 1988 Katherine Swift arrived at the Dower House at Morville to create a garden of her own. This beautifully written, utterly absorbing book is the history of the many people who have lived in the same Shropshire house, tending the same soil, passing down stories over the generations. Spanning thousands of years, The Morville Hours takes the form of a medieval Book of Hours.

It is a meditative journey through the seasons, but also a journey of self-exploration. It is a book about finding one's place in the world and putting down roots.

What the Critics Say

"A magical book. I have read it twice now. I love the richness of Katherine Swift's prose; the flashes of her family's story that are scattered through the deliciously written text; the gorgeous detail. The Morville Hours is the most beautiful book I have read in years." (Nigel Slater)

"This is gardening writing at its best. Swift's prose brings the garden alive in all its details, scents and meaning ... Evocative, heartfelt and magical." (Guardian)

The story of the gardens at Morville is much more that just their making. It is the story of many lives and the history of this part of Shropshire. It is the sort of book that makes one want to go outside inspired to garden! Brilliant.

A perfect marriage of person and prose. Katherine Swift's captivating account of making a garden treats the historical and biographical as the frame on which her garden story grows. I have lost count of the number of times I've listened to this book which satisfies in every way that a story should. You cannot help but fall in love with the garden as she did. Buy it and you'll always have a place to go to when you need sustenance.

Yes - this is a beautiful reading of a beautiful book. Katherine Swift reads her own book about how she created her garden at Morville. Her performance isn't perfect, but she conveys the emotion she feels about her garden and her home, which made this a lovely listen.

Which scene did you most enjoy?

The book combines the story of the creation of a garden, the history of the Morville community and an autobiographical account of the author's life. It follows the format of a medieval book of hours, and I found the passages describing the different times of the monks' day brought the writing to life.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The ending - it brought together everything I'd been listening to so beautifully and I felt a deep sense of satisfaction.

This is a simply beautiful book which manages to combine history, gardening information, and a gentle meditation on the passing of time all in one wonderfully accessible book. This is not the kind of book which I would normally choose, but I found myself mesmerised by the descriptions and the wonderful titbits of information which I gained. Thoroughly enjoyed and recommended.

This book is not quite like anything else I've come across. It is a meditation on the history of a garden, a village, a part of England, a woman. The different elements combine seamlessly, with each of the different layers of experience providing context for the others.

Katherine Swift writes beautifully, and the fact that she herself is the narrator means that her carefully chosen words receive exactly the emphasis she wants.

Your report has been received. It will be reviewed by Audible and we will take appropriate action.

Can't wait to hear more from this listener?

You can now follow your favourite reviewers on Audible.

When you follow another listener, we'll highlight the books they review, and even email* you a copy of any new reviews they write. You can un-follow a listener at any time to stop receiving their updates.

* If you already opted out of emails from Audible you will still get review emails by the listeners you follow.